Abstract
Curcumin, an important constituent of turmeric, is known for various biological activities, primarily due to its antioxidant mechanism. The present study focused on the antibacterial activity of curcumin I, a significant component of commercial curcumin, against four genera of bacteria, including those that are Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). These represent prominent human pathogens, particularly in hospital settings. Our study shows the strong antibacterial potential of curcumin I against all the tested bacteria from Gram-positive as well as Gram-negative groups. The integrity of the bacterial membrane was checked using two differential permeabilization indicating fluorescent probes, namely, propidium iodide and calcein. Both the membrane permeabilization assays confirmed membrane leakage in Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria on exposure to curcumin I. In addition, scanning electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy were employed to confirm the membrane damages in bacterial cells on exposure to curcumin I. The present study confirms the broad-spectrum antibacterial nature of curcumin I, and its membrane damaging property. Findings from this study could provide impetus for further research on curcumin I regarding its antibiotic potential against rapidly emerging bacterial pathogens.
Highlights
Curcumin is a natural component of the rhizome Curcuma longa, known as turmeric
The antibacterial activity of curcumin I against two Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus & E. faecalis) and two Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli & P. aeruginosa) was examined by killing assays performed after exposing the cells (104 CFU/ml) to three different concentrations of curcumin I (25 μM, 50 μM & 100 μM) for 2h and plating aliquots at selected time points (30 min, 60 min & 120 min) on brain heart infusion (BHI) agar plate
A 30 min exposure to 100 μM of curcumin I showed a 100 ± 0.0%, 99 ± 0.6%, 100 ± 0.0% and 57 ± 11.5% killing against S. aureus, E. faecalis, E. coli and P. aeruginosa, respectively
Summary
Curcumin is a natural component of the rhizome Curcuma longa, known as turmeric. The root of turmeric has been popular as a spice in India and other Asian countries. It is commonly used for medicinal purposes, to treat inflammatory conditions [1]. Previous research has shown that it plays a therapeutic role in many diseases including diabetes, inflammatory disorders and different types of cancers [2,3,4]. Curcumin has been shown to possess in vitro anti-microbial potential against a wide range of microorganisms including fungi
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